A 17-year-old New Yorker allegedly shot dead his ballerina ex-girlfriend when she came over to his home to discuss their breakup during her Thanksgiving break, cops say.
Austin Lynch allegedly killed his ex Emily Finn, 18, the day before his birthday on November 26, outside his parents’ home in Nesconset, Long Island, in what police suspect was a botched murder-suicide.
Lynch then shot himself in the face, but survived the bullet wound and is now expected to face a second-degree murder charge.
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said Lynch will be arraigned as soon as he has recovered enough from his injuries.
Investigators said Finn’s body was found by Lynch’s parents as they returned home, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Finn, who graduated from Sayville High School in June, and her alleged killer had recently broken up, police told the Greater Long Island newspaper.
She had reportedly stopped by his house to return his belongings and discuss their split when the horror unfolded.
Their breakup was reportedly prompted by Finn leaving for college at State University of New York (SUNY) in Oneonta, while Lynch had recently joined the Marines.
Austin Lynch allegedly shot dead his ballerina ex-girlfriend Emily Finn (seen together at their prom) when she came over to his home to discuss their breakup during her Thanksgiving break, cops say
Finn, a talented ballerina and freshman at SUNY, was allegedly killed by her ex-boyfriend when she returned to Long Island for the holidays and visited him to give back his belongings
Tributes poured in for the talented ballerina following the tragedy, and more than a thousand mourners packed a Long Island funeral home for her memorial on Sunday.
Her family asked Finn’s friends and loved ones to wear pink to the service, which was the freshman’s favorite color.
‘She just had that special spark,’ a friend of the slain teen told the New York Post at the event.
‘She was so full of life, and she loved her family and her brother and her grandparents so much.
‘All she ever wanted was to do good for the world, and it all got taken away, just like that… I can’t stop crying.’
Finn’s friends said she was studying to be a teacher at SUNY.
Another friend named Hailey told the Post that she was distraught by what had happened.
‘Emily was the best, just the best,’ she said.
Investigators said Finn’s body was found by Lynch’s parents as they returned to their home (pictured) in Nesconset, Long Island
Tributes poured in for Finn following the tragedy, as her friends said she ‘just had that special spark’ and ‘was so full of life’
Investigators say the couple’s breakup was prompted by Finn going off to college at State University of New York (SUNY) in Oneonta, while Lynch had recently joined the Marines
‘She was an amazing dancer and an amazing friend, and such a family person… Being around all these people who love her so much, I keep imagining her being among them, living and smiling.
‘I’m just completely crushed. I’m devastated.’
A GoFundMe account established to help support her grieving loved ones said that Finn’s ‘devastating and senseless’ killing leaves a hole for everyone in her life.
‘To know Emily is to love her, as she became part of the fabric of the lives she touched in her generous and kind way,’ the crowd funder read.
‘Through her many years as a dancer, the children she taught as she prepared for a future as a teacher, and simply as a friend to so many, she will be sorely missed by all who knew her.’
